This passage shows that God speaks in various ways. It's wrong to expect God to speak to you only in a particular way. You can neither traditionalize nor stereotype the way He speaks. (Job33v14)
Let us examine some various ways by which God speaks to Man;
1 - STILL SMALL VOICE (1stKing 19v12)
This is the primary way God speaks. God's voice may be thundering, but don't expect God to speak to you in a supernatural way at all time.
This is why many people miss it and they didn't familiarise themselves with God's voice. Let us examine this: The power of a clean conscience (2Cor 1v12).
The conscience is a powerful tool that God implemented in the spirit life of every man whether born again or not.
Note: The conscience has been proved to be the voice of the human spirit. Now, the voice of human spirit (Conscience) serves as a channel which receives the voice of God into the human spirit of ONLY those who have given their life to Jesus, that is, born again.
If there is something wrong with your conscience, the voice of the the spirit man may not be clear. Holy living (Holiness) is the key to make still small voice clear to you.
2 - Dreams (Job 35v15, Gen. 37v5-6)
Dreams come from three different sources. They are :God, devil, or MAN (yourself). This may be due to your daily activities or thoughts.
The best way to handle these three is to seek God's face in prayers.
Note:
- Don't joke or play with your dreams
- Seek for correct interpretation ; it may be disastrous to make a wrong interpretation or wrong assumptions
- Always pray about you dreams
3 - Vision
There are two types
- Close vision : This happens when you close your eyes
- Open vision : this happens when you close your eyes. Act20v3-7
4 - By Prophecy. (1Cor 14v22-25
5 - Audible Voice. (John 12v27-29)
6 - By a direct understanding from God's Word. Ps 119v18
7 - By His Angel. Act8v26
8 -By knowing. Luke 6v8
9 -By natural courses. Ps 19v1-3
10 - By Animals. e.g Balaam's Donkey. Number 22v21-31
12 - Constraint and Restraint. (Act16v7)
Constraint is a strong inner pressure to go ahead to do something.
Restraint is an equally strong inner pressure not to go ahead and do something.
For all these things to function well in you, your heart must be satisfied in Christ Jesus.
Maybe you didn't read the part one. Here it is Hearing God - Part One
God bless you!